Most recreational fishermen are familiar with float rings. These devices provide a mobile, floating platform for fly or lure casting. Their general makeup includes a donut-shaped ring in the form of a conventional rubber "inner tube" that is normally used to inflate large tires. A seat made of durable fabric extends across and fills the center opening of the tube. The seat is attached to the tube by either sewing it to or making it homogeneous with a fabric shell that is draped over and around most of the tube's circumference.
Openings through the seat enable the fisherman's legs to extend down into the water below the float ring when it is used on the surface of a lake or other body of water. Most fishermen attach fins to their feet in order to make it easier to propel the ring in one direction or another. Most fishermen also wear chest-high neoprene waders while sitting in the ring in order to keep the lower half of their bodies warm and dry.
The conventional float ring as described above has proven to be a potential trap for the unwary. After a prolonged period of use, the seams of the inner tube tend to weaken and are prone to suddenly splitting apart. Sometimes fishermen use float rings in areas Where there are underwater branches or hidden snags that may Suddenly puncture the tube. In either situation, rapid loss of air and deflation results, possibly endangering the fisherman if he is in deep water and far from shore.
When a float ring deflates, the inner tube collapses and may begin to fill with water. The fabric making up the seat and outer shell, which provides no flotation, collapses and becomes tangled around the fisherman along with the tube.
The fisherman may not be in immediate danger so long as air pockets remaining in the tube provide sufficient flotation to initially keep his head above water. Neoprene waders, when worn, will also provide a certain amount of flotation. However, as mentioned above, most fishermen wear fins in conjunction with float rings. These are difficult or impossible to remove when sitting in a collapsing float ring and, unless removed, make it nearly impossible for a fisherman to free himself from the ring.
When a fisherman is in the above situation, he naturally attempts to swim or paddle to shore where he can disentangle himself. What can happen is that his movements result in the loss of air from remaining air pockets in the tube. When the tube loses all of its air, it becomes a weight instead of a buoyant body. If the fisherman has far to swim, becomes tired, or loses his ability to paddle with his feet because of entanglement with seat fabric, the weight of a fully collapsed ring can drag him under the water.
More than one fisherman has been known to drown in the manner described above. Fisherman have also been known to use float rings on rivers and, in some cases, on the ocean. There, collapsing rings are particularly dangerous because strong currents and undertow are present.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a redundant or backup flotation device which can be added to existing float rings for safety purposes. In the event of accidental deflation, a float ring incorporating the invention will enable the fisherman to immediately create additional flotation that is sufficient to keep him above water until he can reach shore safely.
Although a search of the prior art may reveal many different kinds of float ring designs, the inventors are unaware of any instance where float-ring safety has been addressed.